The Workflows

If you’re reading this, you already know there are a myriad of ways you can create workflows for moving content.  I’ve spoken to several other schools that serve content many ways.  Some push the video into an FTP space where students push the files to iTunes U.  Some use other media servers and push the files to the Web.  Some stream.  Some use Woolamaloo to push to iTunes U.  Some use Automator.  Some Podcast Producer.  There’s also the OpenCast project and enterprise YouTube as options.  If you want to spend some more money, Tegrity is a solution we were very impressed with.  TechSmith just released Camtasia Relay which looks promising as well.  Whether it’s fully-automated like Berkley with cameras in classrooms that automatically turn on, record, and post with no interaction of faculty, to full-service models that use tape, workflows are definitely not one size fits all.  But in our business, they are necessary evils.

Putting the Pieces Together

Not only to we have to create workflows, we have to consider the UI for students, experience for faculty to get academic buy-in to get content to students, and make sure that it integrates with whatever back-end systems and infrastructure your campus has.  Oh, then there’s the budget issue.  If you can get the stars to align, you MAY be able to make things work.  Here is what we have set up in the “server room”:

• Active Directory
• Blackboard 7 (upgrading to 9 this summer)
• Vanderbuilt Bb Building Block for iTunes U customized by our software team
• Hosted iTunes U
• Leopard Server with PCP integration
• New Intel iMac lab and one 8-core Mac Pro

#1  Tape to iMovie/FCP to iTunes U

This scenario we import the Mini-DV tape into either iMovie (quick and dirty) or Final Cut Pro.  We create titles in Photoshop, export them as .jpg, and insert them into the timeline.  Either way, we export to m4v and upload the file to iTunes U.

Screencast Example

Classroom Capture from a classroom from our YouTube Channel:

#2:  Podcast Capture

We’ve tried this scenario and tested it with minimal success.  In a controlled enviornment, we’ve hooked up a MacBook via Firewire to the camera rig and hard-wired the MacBook to the network.  Then connected Podcast Capture to the rig, selected a class from an already existing workflow, and recorded using the naitive app.  It worked for recordings less than 5 minutes.  Posted directly to iTunes U.  However, it has not worked in a longer lecture scenario.  The problem with this is if the file doesn’t upload properly, the recording is lost.  We learned this the hard way.  So we always back up everything with tape.  This was mildly successful with speech classes in our COM department for students doing 3-5 minute speeches.  Mildly.  I’ll explain in scenario #3.

#3  Quicktime Pro with PCP

With Podcast Capture not reliable for us at this stage, we tried using the Firewire scenario hooked up to the camera rig (tape backup), and recording directly to QT pro.  This provides a .mov file on the desktop that can be uploaded to PCP.  This gave us a better success rate with short 5 minute speeches.

Uploading Options

We use a variety of uploading options.  None of them reliable.

• Woolamaloo |  Download Mac |  Download PC
  
• Woolamaloo Automator Actions for iTunes U |  Download
  
• Podcast Producer native app
• Podcast Producer Web app [was a free download but apparently Apple bought it and it's not available any longer for free]
• iTunes U Web interface

I’ll spend some time writing later about the iTunes U upload problems we’ve had.  Any of you who use iTunes U are more than welcome and encouraged to share your successes and failures.  So, these are what we’re doing at a high level.  I can provide anyone more details and open our house to all.  We want to partner with anyone who desires to share and provide the best tools for our students to learn.  I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a huge shout-out to Rich Wolf from University of Illinois at Chicago for writing these great apps and providing them free.  Thanks a bunch, Rich.  Keep up the great work.  Now that I’ve provided an overview of our process and workflow, what is yours?  Am I behind, or should I be presenting to you?  Let the conversation begin.

Walking You Through Our Process

This piece is pretty elementary.  but it explains in detail what we use and how we use these pieces to record a classroom lecture or activity.

Pre-Production

Right now we use a full-service model whereby either myself or our student staff will go to a classroom and capture the event.  We use a Web site with a form they fill out or call/email us directly.  We then use a shared calendar in Exchange where we schedule the event, contact the faculty member, and confirm that we’ll be there.  The students then will go to the classroom, record, and post-produce it in our video studios.

Post-Production

They either edit in iMovie ‘08 or Final Cut Pro.  We have several standard titles and slides they use to create custom intros and extros.  With Leopard Server integration and Podcast Producer configured to Active Directory, we are also using it to push video after creating some standard in/out movies for Quartz Composer to render in the workflows.  I’ll speak more to the workflow/uploading process in the next post.  Once the audio/video files are in iTunes U, the student contacts the faculty to let them know.  The faculty then creates a link in the Blackboard course to the media files.  We created video tutorials for faculty to use in order to understand the process as well.  This is still a work in progress.  Our workflow to Blackboard is explained in an earlier post as we were developing the infrastructure.  Feel free to post comments on how your process works.

A Brief Overview

Many schools have asked what gear we use for media capture scenarios at Spring Arbor University.  Knowing every school does media capture differently, we decided to make a three-part video series on what we do for media capture, how we configure the gear, and what workflows we use to migrate content from the classroom to the Web.  We hope this helps get some of you an idea of where you can start.  This is part one of three.  In this tutorial, I show you exactly what contents are in our full-service media capture bag and how we store it.  Part two will demonstrate how we set up the rig in the classroom.  Finally part three will show you a couple of delivery options we use.  Keep in mind this is what we developed on our own and is subject to change.  We’d value lots of feedback on what you do and what’s worked.  Let’s get the comments flowing.

The List

• Camera
  • Cannon Zr-800
  • Extra 8-hour battery

• Microphone Options
  • Sennheiser EW100 G2 Wireless Mic/Receiver Combo
  • Audio Technica ATW-R100X (Receiver) | Audio Technica ATW-T101X (Transmitter)
• Hardware
  • Intel MacBook
• Software Options
  • Podcast Capture
  • Quicktime Pro
  • iMovie ‘08
  • Final Cut Pro
  • Screenflow
• Accessories
  • 4 AA Rechargeable Batteries (for Sennheiser unit)
  • 2 9-volt Batteries (for Audio-Technica Unit)
  • Sony MDR-V150 Headphones
  • Dynex DX-TRP60 Tripod
  • 25′ Heavy-Duty Extension Cord
  • Standard Powerstrip
  • 4-pin to 6-pin Firewire cord
  • 50′ CAT-5 Ethernet Cord

There arose a challenge with faculty to be able to share with students more fluid content in their teaching through an online delivery mechanism. Through Blackboard, students collaborate in the discussion boards, faculty teach, but delivering an interactive rich media experience still has a large learning curve.

A few months ago, we had a faculty come in that is teaching a education course. He had a system set up on the face to face side, lectures whiteboard material, and powerpoint presentations to demonstrate to the students. To bring this into an online context, we first listened to what the course is about, learning outcomes, as well as his teaching style. We then experimented and came up with a system to record both the video of the instructor as well as provide them a tool they could draw/write/demonstrate which could be recorded as well. After succeeding in proof of concept, we put it into action.

The Set Up

Set up is pretty simple. We have a standard 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo iMac with 1 GB RAM and 350 GB HD. For this application we use seven items:

1. Quicktime Pro for the Mac.
2. Snapz Pro
3. M-Audio Microphone connected via USB (the built-in mic will work adequately)
4. Elluminate Live
5. Final Cut (Pro or Express)
6. Adobe Photoshop (CS3 or Express)
7. iTunes

The Process

Set Up Quicktime for Video

We set up the M-Audio mic to connect to Quicktime Pro with the following preferences:

We then test the audio levels to make sure we have appropriate sound.
Choose “File -> New Movie Recording”, and create a sample test movie. Troubleshoot until you have good audio and video. You will also want to make sure you have good lighting on the subject. We have some lights in the studio we use, but augment it with a simple Ikea lamp.

Set Up Elluminate Live

Through Blackboard, we create an Elluminate Live session, add 1 hour on to the beginning and ending of the session for bleed over, and start the Elluminate session. Faculty can then load in pre-made slides or prepare slides from within the application.

Set Up Snapz Pro

Snaps can be configured to record any part or all of your desktop. We tested this extensively, and found that we could give Snapz a specific area on the desktop where we would put the Elluminate application. Knowing we would be importing into Final Cut Pro (FCP) and editing for Web, we used 800×600 for file size.

Record Session

Once both Quicktime and Snapz have tested and are working, simply bring the faculty into the chair, line them up, give them some brief instructions on the tools (they probably should have prior), and let them teach. The goal is to take the technology out of the way and allow them to sit, talk, draw, browse, click “next slide”, and communicate the learning objectives for the session. Once the session is over, stop the Quicktime recording. It should automatically appear on your desktop as “Movie.mov”. Then stop the Snapz capture. When before it processes, it asks for some preferences. Make sure you have audio checked. If you are using the standard built-in Mac mic, make sure the “Include Audio Track” is checked. If you used an external device, make sure “Include Microphone Track” is selected. This makes sure you have two copies of the audio in case one fails or the quality level is off. It also helps in post production lining up the timelines. Snapz will create a file on the desktop with a default name of “FirefoxScreenSnapz001.mov” or “SafariScreenSnapz001.mov”. If it is “InternetExplorerScreenSnapz001.mov”, we would like you to stop reading this blog and head to Microsoft’s Vista Site for “inspiration”.

Finishing Up

Upon saving and organizing both video files, you will now be ready for post-production. The beauty is that the faculty only had to show up to your studio, sit down, and teach. The rest is up to you. I will document the post-production process next week as well as show you a finished product. Feel free to post comments or contact me if you have questions. We’re feeling like we have a great workflow to accommodate these requests. But more importantly, we’re getting feedback from students that this type of teaching is enhancing their learning.

We’re excited to welcome another guest contributor to the community. Daniel Shackelford is a system administrator from Spring Arbor University. He is currently trying to set up and configure Leopard Server and Podcast Producer with some pretty amazing automation. Please welcome and post comments to his posts.

As we integrate Podcast Producer into our media publishing infrastructure it becomes obvious that manually setting up each course for iTunesU publishing could be onerous as our implementation grows.

So, taking a cue from George Cook (from Apple), I modified his pcastgroup script to work for iTunesU.

Note: This article and script are somewhat technical and assumes familiarity with the Podcast Producer infrastructure and technologies.

What it does:

• Creates an OD group for the course, using the course ID (ie. EDU360) for the name.
• Associates the course ID to an iTunesU tab ID (ie. 1234567890.01234567890).
• Adds a podcast admin group to the course group just created (or any group you specify).
• Sets up services for this group (calendar, mailingList, wiki, blog, webCalendar, webMailingListArchive).
• Generates a new workflow from a template.
• Generates the new template files for the workflow (template.plist, info.plist, InfoPlist.strings, multipart.txt.erb).
• Copy the finished workflow package to /Library/PodcastProducer/Workflows.

What it does not do:

• Any sort of verification of the info you throw at it, apart from checking to see if the group exists.
• Update an existing group with the changes listed above.
• Setup the group in a way that makes it available in the Directory app (I am working on this one).
• Create the iTunesU course (you will have to do that ahead of time in order to get the tab ID).
• Add users, grant access, or any user management tasks.
• Work out of the box. *Setup is required. See comments in the script*
• Generate a workflow that does anything but publish to the specified iTunesU course (no blog, etc.).
  

What I would like it to do in the future:

• Work with the Directory app so that the groups can be managed remotely by OD bound workstations. This does not work yet due to my difficulties in getting a plist into an attribute entry in OD. If anyone has some experience with dscl -createpl, I would welcome a little assistance.
• Be scheduled to go through existing AD/LDAP groups in a given OU and create groups and workflows for them and add the AD/LDAP group to the membership so that users in the AD/LDAP group can automatically publish to iTunesU.
• Integrate with Blackboard (or other LMS) so that the existing cross-reference list generated by the building-block we use can also be used to automatically generate the workflow. If this works, the item above would be unneeded. For us this would entail queries to an MS SQL database to get the course and tab IDs, so I am not sure how practical it would be. Might be easier in Ruby than shell.
• Generate a workflow that can publish to other outlets like group blog, wordpress, etc., as an option.

Well, here it is. Let me know what you think, and how it works for you.

pcastcourse.zip

—–

Daniel Shackelford can be contacted by emailing daniel [dot] shackelford [at] arbor [dot] edu

1. External mic input (for wireless mic input in order to lecture capture wirelessly)
2. Ease of use for multiple users
3. Budget
4. Scale:  We wanted the cameras to not be out of date in a year.  Understanding how technology goes at least… 
5. Integration:  We have new iMacs with Final Cut Express, Final Cut Pro, and iMovie ‘08.  They need to be able to connect easily with the computers and be able to edit and export. 

Based on budget and workflow considerations, we narrowed our search to hard drive cameras and Mini-DV. Here is what we found.

Hard Drive Cameras

Our initial thinking was to go Hard Drive and High Definition for future-proofing the workflow. We looked at several hard drive cameras ranging from $1000-$2000. The prosumer level.

Profile #1: Sony DCR-SR220 60GB Hybrid HDD

Sony has great equipment, but it’s pretty closed format-wise. There is no external mic in, which prohibits any type of wireless mic for lecture capture. Most Sony HDD have a boot on top that you can buy a foot to put an external mic, but not without hassle and cost.  And Sony is really vague about the external mic input.  Even after contacting Sony directly, they couldn’t tell me if I could connect an external microphone to their cameras.  That and Sony’s proprietary software and file formats, and we were scared away.

Profile #2: JVC GZ-HD7 Everio

JVC was the camera we almost went with for Hard Drive Format. It is the most flexible, and does have a mic input. It’s expensive, but didn’t have a really great quality level on picture and sound. Coupled with it recording in MPG-2 and cost, it left us feeling like there was no bang for the buck.  We almost pulled the trigger, but did some research on the format JVC records in.  It would be a hassle to convert file formats for editing in FCP and iMovie.  Hard core techies could convert it easily, but our desire is to have novice and beginners be able to capture their courses in a self-service model.  Too many moving parts made this option out of the question.

Hard Drive Camera Analysis

Pros

• Connect via firewire to the Mac and download video quickly and easily.
• No tapes to find, label, and use/resuse
• Quicker workflow

Cons

• Video can pixelate, especially with fast-moving images
• Video does not record in MOV. This makes the workflow change to need to convert the video files into a format which can be edited in either iMovie or Final Cut Pro. We tried using some video directly from a camera with negative results. A brand new mac with FCP and iMovie ’08 kept giving errors and shutting down once we loaded in the video files. This was a red flag for us on file formats and importing in video. We’ve also read of others having trouble getting video in for editing.
• Cameras do not have a Mic input. This is a huge issue. We researched this thoroughly. Even contacted several manufacturers. But found that to go hard drive camera and external mic input would push us into the professional grade price point.
• Price. We couldn’t justify spending that much money on what really is still an emerging format.

Mini-DV Cameras

Mini-DV has been around for a long time. It’s pretty much the consumer standard. It also runs some prosumer and pro-end cameras. We were wanting to think past Mini-DV to the future, but kept finding reasons to investigate Mini-DV as a possibility.We looked at many higher-end Mini-DV camcorders. However, we found that most didn’t have an external mic-in. One camera surprised us. It wasn’t in a catalog. It wasn’t a high-end camera. It was in Best Buy, in the cheap camera section. The Cannon ZR-800.This compact camera had our non-negotiable: Mic in. It didn’t have a headphone jack to monitor audio, but we got around that with our wireless mic system. It’s small, inexpensive, and just plain works. The only draw back to this particular unit is the tape eject area is on the botton of the camera. This makes it an extra step when on a tripod to remove the tripod connector before ejecting tape. But overall a great buy around $200.

Mini-DV Breakdown:

Pros

• Cheap. Mini-DV cameras are inexpensive. With multiple users checking out assets, cost is an issue for fixing and maintaining equipment. Bottom line: If the cameras were cheap enough and someone accidentally broke them, it wouldn’t be that big of an issue.
• Easy Access. You can buy a Mini-DV camera anywhere and get service on them as well. No need to send it to the manufacturer. And adding units wouldn’t be difficult either. And accessories like batteries, etc can be bought at the nearest Best Buy.
• Mic Input. Many mid-level Mini-DV cameras have a mic input. This was a non-negotiable for us.

Cons

• Tape. Arggghh. An hour long lecture takes one hour to input. It’s tedious.
• Tape. You have to be intentional about labeling and managing tapes going in and out.

Final Analysis

We decided that tape was going to be the more reliable and simpler. It would take additional time, however, it would also alleviate frustration for end-users. It fit below our budget, gave us piece of mind that we weren’t loaning out a major piece of equipment to inexperienced users, and provided a workflow that made sense to allow us to do what we needed to. Confirmation of this was from a rep at Sony who actually steered me away from Hard Drive cameras to Mini-DV. He found the same issues we were discovering regarding Hard Drive formats still not ready for prime time.

BEWARE

Be Careful Who You Buy From

Shopping for the best deal is good. But we found from experience that the cheapest is not necessarily the best. Once we walked down the JVC hard drive camera road, I went to the Web to find the best price. There are many online stores that were selling this camera for $500. It is true. And false. What they’re selling is the European model. Not US. It’s PAL. And it doesn’t come with any battery, cords, or warranty. Those are all extra. It’s a bait and switch scheme you want to stay away from. I’d recommend only buying from companies who can provide service, support, and warranties. Even if it costs a bit more.

External Mic Clarification

If you’re looking for a similar system and you’re looking online, make sure you talk to someone to confirm they have an external mic input. Many sites will say they do, but they don’t. Or some will say that they don’t know. Even manufacturers. Call and confirm. And make sure you clarify that you’re not looking for an A/V input. You’re looking for a mic input. Some vendors that may not be well versed will sell you a camera that will arrive with only A/V in. Don’t be disappointed. Get the clarification. A little extra work will help you in the long run.

In the process of developing recording strategies for classrooms and individual faculty we considered a broad range of technologies, including hardware, software, and enterprise level systems. Because of both funding and workload constraints we chose to adopt a simpler approach to recording, with the understanding that more scalable options would be needed at some point.

Our goal was to provide faculty with a device that required the least amount of technical know-how, and the least amount post-production work load. During the research phase we discovered (to our dismay) that the majority of digital recorders were designed for a Windows-centric world, in that most recorders produced only .wav files. The .wav format isn’t actually a bad format. However, it would add a file conversion step in post-production and we viewed this step as an obstacle for most faculty.

Fortunately, we came across the H2 digital recorder from Zoom. Not only is the H2 reasonably priced (under $200), it can record directly in .mp3 format which eliminates 1 post-production step. The more I work with the H2, the more impressed I am with the value it represents.
The H2 contains 4 microphones, of which 2 are oriented toward the front of the unit, and 2 oriented toward the rear of the unit. The mics can be configured 3 ways at the push of a button:

1. Using the front mics only: Narrow, unidirectional (90° polar pattern)
2. Using the rear mics only: Wide Unidirectional (120° polar pattern
3. Using both front & rear mics (faux 360° polar pattern)

Having used various devices to record classroom lectures and interactions, it has always been a challenge to capture both the instructor’s lecture and student questions and comments with equal fidelity. The 360 degree setting on the H2 allows us to capture the instructor behind the teaching console and the students in front of the teaching console. We have been delighted with the recording quality in both large and small classrooms.

The H2 comes with a 512 Mb SD card (recommend using a 1Gb card), a 3 legged tripod “foot” that is easily attached/detached, a wind screen cover, ear buds, an adapter to turn the H2 into a hand-help mic, an AC adapter, USB cable, and a stereo X-Y cable.

The only non-intuitive thing I have discovered about the H2 is the requirement to press the record button twice to begin recording. This is actually something of a “pro” feature in that the first press of the record button activates the mics, and lets you set recording levels before you begin recording. The second push of the record button starts the recording. We had to give faculty a clear “heads-up” about the double-button-push requirement. Unfortunately, some still forget to push the button the second time which results in no recording being made. Thankfully, that only happened twice (2 different individuals), and the word got out quickly. Now both our students and faculty are able to successfully record classes and study groups with no problem. The resulting .mp3 files are easily uploaded by faculty/staff to their iTunes U course site.

Bottom line: The Zoom H2 is an outstanding value, and a delight to use.

Tunes or No Tunes?

We have Blackboard as our LMS and needed to create a way for rich media to feed into each course while being authenticated. We looked at Quicktime Streaming Server, Flash, even an enterprise type Youtube. None had a workflow that would really accommodate something that needed to scale as big as we wanted it to. Our university had been using iTunes U since its infancy with limited success. If a faculty needed a video clip in a Blackboard course, someone from IT would have to convert it and upload it using some scripts we had augmented from friends at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. In the four years we had used iTunes U, there were about 800 podcasts created. None of which were integrated with Blackboard. We needed to bring this all together. iTunes U has been a serviceable tool, but nothing earth shattering. There are many other tools that work with Blackboard. We just needed to find the right fit.

The Rumor Mill

Apple had not provided much support for iTunes U, which was a problem for us. As the buildup for WWDC ‘07 began to grow, we were hearing reports from Apple that there were going to be some significant upgrades in iTunes U and podcasting in the form of a podcasting tool that Apple was going to release to integrate with iTunes U. They unveiled Podcast Producer in conjunction with Leopard Server. The iPhone got tons of press, but the true gem of the conference was Leopard Server. Coming back from WWDC, we knew this was going to be one of two options for podcast capture and lecture capture.

Building Blocks

We worked with some other institutions and plodded through the iTunes U discussion boards to find some building blocks for Blackboard. The Baker building block and the Vanderbuilt building block. We tried implementing the Baker block first with some issues. I contacted Cindy Franco from Vandy for help in implementing their building block. She was great to work with, responsive, and helpful. Our network admin got the help he needed and we got the building block connected to our iTunes U site successfully. With the building block working, the next step was to cast vision to faculty on what iTunes U was and how it can work. Their experience with podcasting was by using the built in Blackboard podcasting tool. This bogged down our servers with tons of large files. Especially when a course was copied.

Final Verdict

iTunes U allowed us to serve up content in the cloud in an authenticated environment, with tools students are familiar with. Has it been successful? Kind of. I’ll review iTunes U in another post. Are we glad we decided to use iTunes U? Yes. But I’m not jumping for joy yet. However, Leopard Server and Podcast Producer could put me over the edge. The jury is still out.

Listen to the latest Educational Technology Podcast which features the teaching technology called LAMS. LAMS stands for Learning Activity Management System.   Allan Carrington, Learning Designer from University of Adelaide in Australia, introduces a cutting-edge concept for taking Blackboard or online learning to the next level. The basic principle is from moving online learning from simply content to activity. Let’s lay aside content and start with activity to allow the teacher to sequence a series of activities of which one is content-driven and one is activity driven. For example, instead of starting out with content or lecture, the LAMS model would ask a question or provide a place for students to wrestle with a concept or question before the content is delivered. It is a concept that is being embraced many places and making its way to the west. To find out more, listen to the podcast with Allan Carrington and Randy Meredith, Director of Academic Technology at Spring Arbor University.

Learn more about LAMS:

• LAMS International
• LAMS Community
• LAMS Foundation
• Allan Carrington’s Web site

Blackboard

We currently are running the latest version of Blackboard (7.3). Every course in our university, whether it be on main campus, a regional site, or online, gets a Blackboard course shell. We needed to find a way to deliver rich media through Blackboard. This aids in adoption by faculty who are already familiar with Blackboard. It also aids in adoption by students for the same reason.

iTunes U

After researching other alternatives to rich media delivery, we settled on iTunes U. This will be the first profile on our discovery and decision to use this platform. Having these two non-negotiables, we needed to figure out a way to make iTunes U work with Blackboard, and create a workflow with equipment that would make sense and be easy on budget. We think we’ve found it. And the next few weeks we’re going to show you.